Active versus Passive Voice

Active versus Passive Voice

• 
  A – All sales orders are processed daily by Mackenzie.
  
• 
  B – Mackenzie processes all sales orders daily.
  

Active sentences tend to be shorter, more precise, and easier to understand. This is especially true because passive sentences can be written in ways that do not tell the reader who the doer of the action is. For example, “All sales orders are processed daily” is a complete and correct sentence in passive voice.

Active voice is the clear choice for a variety of contexts, but not all. When you want to deemphasize the doer of the action, you may write, “Ten late arrivals were recorded this month” and not even mention who was late. The passive form doesn’t place blame or credit, so it can be more diplomatic in some contexts. Passive voice allows the writer to avoid personal references or personal pronouns (he, she, they) to create a more objective tone. There are also situations where the doer of the action is unknown, as in “graffiti was painted on the side of our building last night.”

Overall, business communication resources tend to recommend active voice as the preferred style. Still, the styles themselves are not the problem or challenge, but it is how we use them that matters. A skilled business writer will see both styles as options within a range of choices and learn to distinguish when each style is most appropriate to facilitate communication.

Commonly Confused Words

The sentences in Table 6.6 "Common Errors in English" focus on some of the most common errors in English. You may recall this exercise from the introduction of this chapter. How did you do? Visit the “Additional Resources” section at the end of the chapter for some resources on English grammar and usage.

Table 6.6 Common Errors in English

1. accept orexcept	The office will _______ applications until 5 p.m. on the 31st.	accept	Attendance is required for all employees _______ supervisors.	except
2. affect oreffect	To _______ the growth of plants, we can regulate the water supply.	affect	A lack of water has a predictable _______ on most plants.	effect
3. e.g. or i.e.	Please order 2,000 imprinted giveaways (_______, pens or coffee mugs)	e.g.	Charge them to my account (_______, account #98765).	i.e.
4. its or it’s	The department surpassed _______ previous sales record this quarter.	its	_______ my opinion that we reached peak oil in 2008.	It’s
5. lay or lie	Please _______ the report on the desk.	lay	The doctor asked him to _______ down on the examination table.	lie
6. pressureor pressurize	We need to _______ the liquid nitrogen tanks.	pressurize	It might be possible to _______ him to resign.	pressure
7. principleor principal	It’s the basic _________ of farming: no water, no food.	principle	The _______ reason for the trip is to attend the sales meeting.	principal
8. regardlessorirregardless	_______ of what we do, gas prices are unlikely to go back down.	Regardless	_______ of your beliefs, please try to listen with an open mind.	Regardless (Irregardlessis not a standard word; see your dictionary)
9. than orthen	This year’s losses were worse _______ last year’s.	than	If we can cut our costs, _______ it might be possible to break even.	then
10. that orwhich	_______ type of marketing data did you need?	Which	Karen misplaced the report, _______ caused a delay in making a decision.	which
	There are several kinds of data _______ could be useful.	that
11 there their, orthey’re	The report is _________, in the top file drawer.	there	__________ strategic advantage depends on a wide distribution network.	Their
	__________ planning to attend the sales meeting in Pittsburgh.	They’re
12. to, too, or two	Customers need _______ drive slower if they want to save gas.	to	After sales meeting, you should visit customers in the Pittsburgh area _______.	too
	In fact, the _______ of you should make some customer visits together.	two
13.uninterestedordisinterested	He would be the best person to make a decision, since he isn’t biased and is relatively _______ in the outcome.	disinterested	The sales manager tried to speak dynamically, but the sales reps were simply _______ in what he had to say.	uninterested
14. who,whom,who’s, orwhose	__________ truck is that?	Whose	__________ going to pay for the repairs?	Who’s
	__________ will go to the interview?	Who	To __________ should we address the thank-you note?	whom
15 your oryou’re	My office is bigger than _______ cubicle.	your	_______ going to learn how to avoid making these common mistakes in English.	You’re

Making Errors at the Speed of Light

In business and industry there is increasing pressure to produce under deadlines that in some respects have been artificially accelerated by the immediacy inherent in technological communication devices. If you receive an e-mail or text message while you are in the middle of studying a complex problem, you may be tempted to “get it out of the way” by typing out a quick reply, but in your haste you may fail to qualify, include important information, or even check to make sure you have hit “Reply” and not “Reply to All” or even “Delete.” Take care to pause and review your text message, e-mail, or document before you consider it complete. Here is a quick electronic communication do/don’t list to keep in mind before you click “send.”

Do remember the following:

• 
  Everything you access via an employer’s system is subject to inspection.
  
• 
  Everything you write or record reflects you and your business or organization, even if it is stored in a Google or Yahoo! account.
  
• 
  Respect personal space by not forwarding every e-mail you think is funny.
  
• 
  Use a concise but relevant and informative phrase for the subject line.
  
• 
  E-mail the receiver before sending large attachments, as they may exceed the limit of the receiver’s in-box.
  
• 
  Attach your intended attachments.
  

KEY TAKEAWAY

An appropriate business writing style can be formal or informal, depending on the context, but it should always reflect favorably on the writer and the organization.

EXERCISES

1. 
   Select at least three examples of writing from different kinds of sources, such as a government Web site, a textbook, a popular magazine, and a novel. According to the style characteristics discussed in this section, how would you characterize the style of each? Select a paragraph to rewrite in a different style—for example, if the style is formal, make it informal; if the selection is written in active voice, make it passive. Discuss your results with your classmates.
   
2. 
   What are some qualities of a good business writing style? What makes certain styles more appropriate for business than others? Discuss your thoughts with a classmate.
   
3. 
   Find an example of formal writing and write an informal version. Please share with your classmates.
   
4. 
   Find an example of informal writing and write a formal version. Please share with your classmates
   
5. 
   You are assigned to a work team that has to come up with a formal declaration and an informal explanation for the declaration. The declaration could be a memo indicating that your business will be observing a holiday (each team should have a different holiday).
   
6. 
   How would you characterize your writing style? Do you need to make modifications to make your style suitable for business writing? Write a one- to two-page essay on this subject.
   

[1] Bailey, E. P. (2008). Plain English at work: A guide to business writing and speaking. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

[2] McLean, S. (2003). The basics of speech communication. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

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